Golden Brown
by lauraxxx
Summary: He had not expected to end up there, but if it made her happy.
1. Chapter 1

**This idea has been bouncing around in my head for so so long but I haven't managed to write much for it; and then today it began to snow really heavy and I just started typing away.**

**I hope you all enjoy it, and please give me some feedback. Constructive criticism is most definitely welcomed. **

The snow rushed around her in a mighty flurry; large flakes sticking to every surface they glided onto including her flaming claret hair that tumbled forward in grotesque waves.

The peaceful snowy lawn that had been so serene and calm was now clenched in a chaotic battle that had seen more than one person down on the ground whilst being pelted with freezing cold ice balls more than a few hitting them right in the face.

Loud shrill screams of laughter filled the air as well as some pleading from several unwilling participants; they had not signed up to take a freezing snow ball to the back of the head, and then to the front as they turned around to see who their attackers were.

Socks were wet and gloves were soaked but that didn't stop the playful and cheerful war that was taking place in one of the most unlikely places. Most people who weren't familiar with those surroundings would expect people to be constantly miserable and alone, and a lot of the time it could be like that, but when the first snow of the year starts to fall, that pretty much unities everyone with one small smile.

A large van began to lazily crawl up the spiralling road that led to the main doors; it was hard to tell the colour or model of the van- it was covered in a coat of glossy white snow.

Immediately as soon as the van came into view the group of wild almost snowmen (they were covered so thoroughly) began launching snow balls at the van, causing it to stop for a moment before pulling off again towards the car park.

The snow was ruined with footprints and snow angels.

After some time which some deemed too long the group retreated indoors, shaking large snowflakes from their hair and wiping their white shoulders clean. Some people looked like they had major dandruff and others looked like they had wet themselves due to the snow melting on unfortunate parts of the body.

Reluctantly the fiery haired girl trailed behind the retreating group, kicking the snow with her boots. She loved the snow, the cleanliness of it, the texture, the smell, she loved how it seemed so innocent but deep down everyone knew it could be deadly, like all things innocent and pure.

Amusing herself she walked in other people's footprints, making them deeper and misshapen.

Heat washed over her as the door slung shut behind her; she stood still for a moment watching the newbie standing by the front desk; he leaned with his back to the receptionist looking down at his feet, almost embarrassed, almost annoyed.

With a skip in her step she danced over to the reception, where a woman named Gainer sat, her flowery shirt contradicting her dull personality completely, she wrote down details that a middle aged woman with light hair was giving her. Her hair seemed to be lightening to a porcelain white, like the snow.

She peeked over the desk, interested to see what Gainer was writing on her clipboard this time; she pulled it to her chest the closer the girls head got over the desk. The snowy haired woman smiled gently at her, lines forming around her eyes and mouth; the boy didn't look up.

"Yes?" asked Gainer; when the girl didn't reply she continued. "You're supposed to be in group."

As if the girl didn't know she raised her chestnut arched eyebrows and began to almost glide away she was moving so slowly.

"Well if you're on your way, you wouldn't mind taking our newest resident with you," Gainer added with a humble smile.

The boy looked up immediately, his light brown hair sticking up in all directions before he bunglingly leant down and gave the lady a kiss on the cheek, she held him there before straightening up his leather jacket and kissed him once more before smiling and letting him go.

He scratched the side of his head as he walked over to the girl; he took long strides and was walking with her before she hadn't even really taken notice. He was huge compared to her tiny five two petite frame; he must of been about a foot taller.

"I'm jack," he said awkwardly shoving his hands in his pockets as they walked down a wide corridor. Silence. "This is usually where you tell me your name..."

The girl stopped and looked up at him with a quirky smirk on her face. "Hello Jack, I'm Daisy-mai," she continued walking quickly ahead of him leaving him to catch up with her. "Welcome to rehab."

**Should I continue? Please leave a review. (:**


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Thanks to the people who review.

Please let me know what you think of this, should I continue. Yay or Nay?

The group sat in a circle, each and every one of their distrusting eyes on Jack. They eyed him curiously as he entered with the flamed haired girl many of them stopping conversations they were involved in to turn and gawk. Very fucking welcoming.

When Evelyn had suggested rehab, and when Bobby had demanded it, Jack had assumed he would go to some facility for delinquent and disobedient teens or something. He had not expected to end up in one of Detroit's many rehabilitation centres.

A wide range of ages sat around the circle of seven. Jack was pretty sure he was one of the youngest, maybe older than the red head but definitely no older than anyone else. Sitting to his left was a middle aged woman who had no qualms in staring at Jack with narrowed eyed until and elderly man who sitting almost directly opposite Jack began to speak.

"Hello everyone," Jack noticed all eyes were on this man, and this mans beady eyes seemed to be looking at everyone at once. It crept Jack out. "As you can see we have a new resident," everyone's eyes turned on Jack again; he slowly began to melt into his seat. "Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?" Silence. "Hmm? Not a talker, well why don't I start., Yes."

"My name is Robert Kelsey, I'm a councillor here and I'm also a recovering alcoholic; I've been sober for almost ten years now, and I'm not going to lie to you, it doesn't get easier. "

Roberts knowing brown eyes turned to the thirty something women who sat next to him. Her raven hair was tied up unevenly, loose parts falling down and sticking to her clammy face. "Yeah, I'm Helen- Helen Days as you all know, except for you handsome," she said with a smirk to Jack, winking with one of her grey glassy eyes. Jack tried desperately to fight the large grin that was spreading across his face, he couldn't. "I'm a recovering heroin addict and I've been clean for thirty five days."

People spoke one by one as the circle progressed, some spoke more than others, giving details of their lives, reasons why they had to get clean, until they got to Daisy-Mai who sat next to Jack.

Her big green eyes widened as she spoke. "I'm Daisy, I'm sixteen years old and this is my third rehab in two years. My drug of choice is Amphetamine and E; I've been sober for twenty-two days and this year I'll be one of the two out of ten who stay clean after leaving rehab." She brushed a thick waved of flaming hair out of her heart shaped face. "Maybe," she added on the end with a small playful smile on her lips.

"Robert nodded. "This will be your year Daisy." Fuck, Jack thought he was going to barf any minute now. "Jack would you like to share with the group?"

"Uh, I'm Jack Mercer, I'm sixteen too, and this is my first rehab." His hands were pushed deep into his jeans pockets he was sure his fists were going to break through the material.

"Anything else?" Robert prodded; Jack shook his head whilst he stared down into his lap.

The group session continued for another half an hour; Jack carried on staring down into his lap whilst listening those fucking sad acts whine about how they lost their jobs, how their kids weren't speaking to them or how mammy and daddy had showed their love the cash, and how they'd injected that love right up into their arms.

He was about to tell them all to shut their God damn mouths when Robert announced he would see them all tomorrow, and they all began to pile out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Daisy lounged aimlessly on her bed, her thin pale arms stretched out above her head as she watched the snow fall thickly from the sky above that she couldn't see. She was willing to bet her life that it was grey colour though.

"Knock, Knock," a deep voice came from the door. Daisy's eyes never wavered from the falling snow. "Is Helen here?"

Dominic, a male care assistant who worked at the centre stepped in, looking around the room and peeping into the small bathroom, checking if Daisy's roommate was in.

His hair was blonde and his jaw was sharp which made him looking pretty much constantly angry, but with a small smile his face turned sweeter than angels.

"You okay? Can I get you anything?" he asked walking towards her and stopping at the end of the bed, blocking her view of the pretty weather.

Her emerald orbs locked on him and she leaned on her elbows to sit up. "You know exactly what I want."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Food sucks here right?" Daisy slid into the chair opposite Jack as he shovelled the disgusting spaghetti Bolognaise into his mouth.

He looked up at her, put his folk down and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Shitty food is better than no food," he murmured before beginning to eat again.

She pushed her food around on her plate before throwing her cutlery down and asking, "what room you in?"

"Fourteen; hey someone's been through my bags, can they do that?" Jack asked.

Daisy pushed a dainty pale hands through her hair. "Do you think their just gonna' let you sneak some smack in, it's in the contract." She watched him for awhile, his messy hair bounced as he ate. "Let me guess, cocaine?"

His blue pools looked up at her from under thick brows, "what makes you say that?"

"You look the type. Plus you keep wiping under your nose and sniffing. Now either I'm right or your going in for one hell of a cold."

"What can I say?" Jack replied whilst chewing on a mouthful of food. He knew Evelyn would have a few choice words is she saw his manners. "My immune systems low."

"I bet it is," she clicked her tongue repeatedly until it grabbed Jack's attention. He stared at her with wide crystal eyes, his mouth stuffed with food, it took a moment before he began chewing again. She continued clicking.

"That's really annoying, you know?" It wasn't a statement, it was fact.

Daisy stopped clicking immediately, her mouth still puckered open and her wide almond shaped sparkling green eyes eyed him without blinking. It made Jack fidget uncomfortably in his seat. At least she had stopped with the damn clicking.

_Click._

Jack dropped his fork onto his plate, ready to move somewhere else when her plump lips burst into a glowing smile.

"You got any smokes?" she asked casually, almost if she wasn't going to ask to bum one the moment he said yes. " I'll take that as a yes. Listen tobacco sells out pretty quick here, and there's only a delivery to that God awful tuck shop once every two weeks, so it can be pretty hard to get cigs. Plus, with us being under eighteen, that only makes this whole mission to get smokes even harder." Jack narrowed his eyes at her, they were on a mission now were they. "But, I know some people and I can get us smokes, though I can't get them until tomorrow morning. So I'm in a bit of a tricky situation, I need a smoke and I haven't got one. You do but your supply is going to go down pretty quick, especially when withdrawal kicks in-"

Jack whipped out his cigarette packet and tossed one at her, she smiled widely, success written all over her porcelain features.

"So, how do you get cigarettes?" he asked sarcastically, knowing he'd never get that cigarette back off her but if it shut her up, he would give her the fucking pack.

He shovelled another mouthful of tasteless food into his mouth.

"Oh I blow this guy," Jack almost choked, and Daisy began giggling uncontrollably, the sound almost childlike. "I'm kidding," she said through giggles as she stood up. "Thanks' for the smoke."

Jack watched as she headed out into the blizzard with no jacket on, but with a spring in her step.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The week passed by slowly, excruciatingly. Jack was getting restless and in need of a joint at the very least. His nails had been bitten down low until they were sore and red and his forehead seemed to be constantly damp with sweat. At least he had his smokes; a pack of twenty had been slipped under his door the morning Daisy had promised she would get some, a pack had appeared every other morning since too.

Jack laid on his bed, his guitar resting lazily across his chest, he was trying fruitlessly to re-tune his baby, but his fucking hands wouldn't stop shaking.

H roared in annoyance and shoved his beloved guitar away from him before rubbing his hands through his hair and banging his head lightly against the wall behind him.

Fuck why had he agreed to come here? It was a fucking dive. He had to sit in a stupid circle every day with a bunch of loony tunes, listening to everyone else problems and then they expect him to spill his fucking life out to them.

Then there was the pissing councillors that insisted on a one to one chat daily, where they ask you how you were doing and tell you how far you were coming along. He'd like to show them how far they'd go if he kicked them with his size 12 boot.

Quickly he headed over to the window which he yanked open and stuck his head out of before lighting a cigarette. Oh the nicotine was so good.

He sucked on the cigarette, his thoughts far away at a time of parties, booze, drugs and girls. He had the beginnings of a pretty good sex, drugs and rock' n 'roll lifestyle forming before he got dumped in the fucking hole that was Springwood rehabilitation centre.

"Oi fairy," a familiar deep voice yelled from three stories below him. "You going to come down here and give your big brother a fucking hug or what?" Jack was smiling now as Evelyn appeared at Bobby's side, Jack threw his cigarette quickly. "Ma, I think we interrupted Jackie, he's obviously too busy sucking-"

"Bobby don't you even start!" Evelyn scolded before walking into the building. Jack immediately shut his window and headed downstairs.

The first half an hour of Bobby and Evelyn being there was filled with comments of how Evelyn was so proud of him and how he was looking skinny; Bobby spent it making comments about how he was clearly loving having a guy as his roommate.

"Shut up Bobby, I don't even share a fucking room," Jack yelled starting to get irritated; why did his mother have to bring his oldest brother with her and then leave him with him while she went and spoke to Jack's councillor? He bet none of the other pathetic patients who had visitors were being mocked.

"Well that's even better Princess, now you can bring back different cock every night," Bobby chided, his wicked grin plastered across his face.

Jack chose to ignore the comment and instead asked about how Bobby was doing on the hockey team he played for. He wasn't surprised to find out that he had been suspended, again.

Evelyn appeared again with a plastic cup of coffee in her hand, a small crease between her eyes. "Jackie, Mr Kelsey was telling me your not sharing much in group, I understand it can't be easy, but it obviously helps, I'm sure more than half the people in here leave clean and sober if they seize the-"

"Two out of ten will leave and stay clean," Jack interrupted, immediately regretting butting in on the one woman that had ever given a damn. "Sorry."

Evelyn tried to hide the sadness in her eyes.

"Well then Jackie, you should feel real lucky because Mercer's don't quit, and I ain't fucking getting no second job to help pay for you to come here a second time."

"Bobby! Jack knows that all of us, that's including you will do anything to help him get better," Evelyn's voice was fierce and she clutched Jack's hand. Her skin was so smooth it reminded him of freshly washed cotton sheets, the one's you could really feel comfy in. Not the plastic ones they put on the beds here, just encase you pissed yourself in the night.

Evelyn brushed some of her youngest son's hair out of his eyes before murmuring that she missed him and would be back the following Thursday to visit him again.

"I love you Jackie, don't you forget that," she said sternly before kissing him lightly on the head and embracing him tightly.

Bobby clasped him on the back. "You better come home soon fairy, I'm starting to miss all that racket."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Shit Mercer, you realise how long I've been waiting here for you?" Daisy moaned as Jack walked into his room. Daisy-Mai was sprawled across the spare bed, her black dress had rolled up several inches from her knee's and her green Doc Martins dangled off the end of the bed.

Jack strolled through the room, his eyes taking in the pale flesh of Daisy's thigh, it was so white, almost translucent looking.

"You didn't have family visit?" Jack asked, plonking himself down on his bed, his right foot tapping the floor impatiently. A bead of sweat ran down his face.

Daisy turned her head so that she was looking at Jack, her hair tumbled forward too. "No, my family don't come visit," her voice was quiet and pure , her eyes glassy and absent.

Jack watched silently whilst she picked at her fingernails. "How come?" he asked, concern drenching his voice. Throughout the week Daisy and Jack had become almost friends, they ate together, they sat together in group and every evening Daisy would lay on Jack's spare bed and they'd discuss various different bands, that Jack had previously thought that only he appreciated. Plus, the cigarettes helped there going friendship run along smoothly.

"My folks died a couple years back," she murmured; she bit her lip gently. "And my brother, well, he's far too important to drive all the way down here every week," she whined sarcastically, her jaw set in a hard line.

Jack nodded limply, he knew all too well what it was like to be a burden on someone that was supposed to care. Fuck, he'd been a burden on every foster family he got dumped in until he met Evelyn, three years ago.

"What happened to them?" Jack asked coarsely.

She sniggered loudly, "Oh it was very tragic," sarcasm dripped from her voice, and she smiled, she actually smiled. "So when were you going to tell me about the hot guy who came to visit you?" Talk about changing the subject; Jack couldn't help a shocked grin spread across his face as he lit himself a cigarette.

"Bobby?" Shit, how could she ogle the oldest brother when she had the younger, hotter most definitely fucking cooler brother sitting opposite her, Jack thought. "That would be my brother, and five minutes in his fucking company would change your opinion."

She smiled again, rolling on her side, her delicate hands holding her head up. "Maybe you could help hook us up," she had a wicked grin now, and she twisted a red tendril around one of her fingers.

Jack laughed a deep gruff laugh, "I'll fucking do that," he murmured sarcastically. They both quietly laughed then for a few seconds before it drifted into silence.

Jack laid there quietly, his hands sweating and his fingers clicking irritably. "Daisy how come you never seem to be going through any kind of withdrawals?" Jack asked, curious if she learned how to hide them.

She was silent for a moment before sitting up suddenly, her hair tumbling down her back. "You promise not to tell?" Jack sat up then, intrigued. He nodded quickly desperate to know how to mask it so he didn't look so fucking vulnerable all the time. "I'll show you."


End file.
